Figure 9

The effects of increasing catechol-O-methytransferase (Comt) expression on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-related molecules in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). (a–c) The expression level of Comt correlates with GABA signaling-related genes, Gabrb2 (GABA_Areceptor β2) (a), Gad2 (Gad67) (b) and Reln (reelin) (c). Comt, Gabrb2, Gad2 and Reln were quantified and normalized to Gapdh of the PFC of Lenti-CAG-Comt- or Lenti-CaMKII-Comt-infected mice using real-time PCR. Mice were killed 2 weeks after lentiviral infection. A solid line depicts the linear regression for Lenti-CAG-Comt-infected mice, and a dashed line is for Lenti-CaMKII-Comt-infected mice. (d–h) Increased synaptic puncta of interneurons in the PFC of Lenti-CAG-Comt- or Lenti-CaMKII-Comt-infected control mice (d–f) and Df1/+ mice (g, h). Fluorescent puncta rings surrounding unlabeled soma are shown by arrows (d, g). Quantification of immunofluorescent intensity of GABA in puncta rings (e, h) and the density of Gad67⁺ cells (f). Scale=20 μm. Values are the mean±s.e.m. of 3–4 mice. (e) ^*P=0.026, ^**P=0.0067, (h) ^*P=0.0037.